Apparatus for burning powdered fuel



Nov. 1, 1927. 1,647,727 F. H. DANIELS APPARATUS FOR BURNING TOWDEREDFUEL Filed May 29. 1923 4 2 Shqet s-Sbeet 1 53 L; 3 fin- 571A 2 1-qv-y.'4.-' :/r;;a.6 P I i J oooo 00000 000 Nov. 1, 1927.

F. H. DANIELS APPARATUS FOR BURNING POWDERED FUEL Filed May 29. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VfN T0 2?,

n fi W Patented Nov. 1 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED H. DANIELS, OF WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO RILEY STOKEBCORPORATION, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU-SET'I'S.

APPARATUS FOR BURNING POWDERED FUEL. 7

Application filed May 29, 1923. Serial No. 642,329.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for burning powderedcoal or other similar fuel. I

One serious objection to the use of powdered fuel is the form of refuseor ash produced thereby, which is largely of a very light and volatilenature and frequently creates a nuisance by deposit over the surroundingterritory. A further difliculty has been encountered by the productionof a small percentage of slag in the refuse which has a tendency to clogthe apparatus and to interfere with the operation thereof.

It is the object of my invention to remedy these objections by radicalchanges in the construction of the furnace and associated mechanism, asI now encourage the formation of slag, which I afterwards collect andremove in solid masses from the furnace. For producing such slag and inorder to burn the powdered fuel to better advantage, I provide a furnaceconstruction in which two or more streams of mixed fuel and air areoppositely directed to meet at a com mon combustion point, at whichpoint very high temperatures are developed, substantially above themelting point of the ash and refuse.

Other features of my invention relate to means for collecting andremoving the slag, to an improved arrangement of heating units for usewith my improved combustion apparatus, and to other arrangements andcombinations of parts which will be here inafter described and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of my improved furnace, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view with the top of the combustion chamberand the draft flues omitted.

Referring to the drawings, I have indicated a preferred assembly ofunits for carrying out my invention. I have shown a plurality ofoppositely disposed powdered I fuel burners or mixers 10 disposed at thefour sides of a rectangular combustion chamber 11 forming the lowerportion of a furnace 12. The outlets or nozzles 13 are directed to acommon point at the center of the combustion chamber 11. Hoppers 14 areprovided for feeding powderedcoal or other similar fuel to the burners10. Air trunks 15 are connected by suitable pipes to the burners 10.

The burners or mixers may be of any usual type and are indicated hereinas of substantially cylindrical form with a series ber 19. As the fuelis burned at the center of the combustion chamber where the convergingstreams of fuel meet, the temperature produced is sufficiently high tomelt a great part of the ash and refuse in the fuel, forming arelatively heavy slag which falls downward through the opening 18 intothe lower compartment 19.

For disposing of the slag deposited in the compartment 19 I use aconveyor 20 formed with a series of pivotally connected troughs or forms21 in which the slag may be deposited. The conveyor, 20 is mounted uponsuitable sprockets 22 and 23 and one of these sprockets may be rotatedthrough a worm and gear connection from a motor M or by other suitabledriving mechanism.

Swinging gates 24 may be provided at each side of the compartment 19 toprevent the infiltration of air at the points where the conveyor moldsapproach and leave the compartment. I may also provide a spray pipe 25by which the troughs or molds 21 may be coated with lime or some othersuitable substance to prevent the slag from adhering thereto. A secondspray 26 may also be used to apply water to the slag as it leaves thechamber 11, I prefer the boiler arrangement indicated in the drawings,in which four boilers of the water tube type, having upper and lowerdrums and vertically disposed water tubes, are arranged in the form of asquare in the upper portion of the furnace 12 above the combustionchamber 11. These boilers 30 may be connected to a super-heater 31disposed in the space betweenthe boilers at the upper end of the furnaceand just below the top thereof.

' struc-tion of one form of my invention, the

advantages of my improved apparatus will be readily apparent. Theconverging opposed streams of powdered fuel and air produce an extremelyhot locus at the center of the combustion chamber and, as previouslystated, the temperatures developed at this point are suflicientlyhigh tomelt a substantial part of the ash and waste and to produce a heavy slagtherefrom which will drop to the bottom of thefurnace and which may beconveniently collected in solid form by the slag casting apparatusindicated in the drawings. The hot combustion gases pass to the furnace12 and are directed against the super-heater positioned at the upper endof the central passage between the boilers 30.

My improved slag casting apparatus provides for automatic removal of theslag and for cooling of the slag while still in the conveyor. I alsoprevent adhesion of the slag to the bucket containers when depositedtherein by the provision of the lime spray devices and the slag iscontinuously and automatically discharged from the furnace in portionsconvenient for handling.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited tothe details herein disclosed otherwise than as setforth in the claims but what I do claim is I 1. In a furnace, having acombustion chamber, in which substantial amounts of slag are produced, amechanism to collect and remove the slag at the bottom of saidcombustion chamber, said mechanism comprising a conveyor having aplurality of slag receptacles, means to move said conveyoracross thebottom of said furnace in the path of the falling slag, and means tocool the slag by spraying the same in said receptacles as it leaves saidfurnace.

2. In a furnace, having a combustion ly of said furnace to applypowdered ma-' teri'al to said slag receptacles as they ap- .proach thefurnace to prevent adhesion of slag thereto.

3. In a furnace having a combustion chamher, in which substantialamounts of slag are produced, a mechanism to collect and remove theslagat the bottom of said combustion chamber, said mechanism comprisinga conveyor having a plurality of slag receptacles, means to move saidconveyor across the bottom of said furnace in the path of the fallingslag, means to apply powdered material to said slag receptacles as theyapproach the furnace to prevent adhesion of slag thereto and means tocool the slag by spraying same in said receptacles as the receptaclesleav the furnace. In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed mysignature.

FRED H. DANIELS.

